PETALING JAYA: Mydin Emporium employee P. Pathmashri irons and folds clothes like any other worker at the hypermarket in Klang. The only difference is that the 33-year-old does all this with only two fingers on his right hand and a prosthetic arm.

Friday, December 27, 2013

PETALING JAYA, Dec 27 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Trades Union
Congress (MTUC) today proposed a RM300 per month cost of living
allowance (COLA) for all the 10 million private sector workers in view
of the escalating cost of living.

The
Employees Provident Fund (EPF) has reminded its members on the new
quantum Basic Savings set at RM196,800 as the minimum amount that must
be in their EPF account by the time they reach the age of 55, effective
next month.
EPF general manager for public relations, Nik Affendi Jaafar said the
new rate was benchmarked against the minimum pension for public sector
employees, currently at RM820 per month for a period of 20 years from
the age of 55 to 75 years.
He said the rate would be reviewed every three years based on retirement needs, inflation rate and the cost of living.

Two European retailers, New Look and Inditex,
yesterday handed out financial support to workers of Smart Export
Garments which caught fire earlier in January killing eight and injuring
24.
Each of the 264 workers was given Tk 15,000 as three months' salary, at a
programme organised by the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and
Exporters Association (BGMEA) at its premises.

MANILA, Philippines - Over 20,000 workers who lost their livelihoods
are taking part in the emergency employment programs to speed up
recovery after Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan). Workers hired this year alone
will help rebuild their communities within decent and safe working
conditions.

Malaysia needs a revived MTUC

The newly-elected office-bearers of the Malaysian Trades Union Congress
(MTUC) have brought hope to revive and rebrand the trade union movement
in the country.
Like other civil society organizations, the MTUC has borne the brunt of
a political system that had been driving full-speed towards
authoritarian rule. With a political reawakening in Malaysia, supported
strongly by the younger generation, MTUC delegates has acted in line
with the aspirations of Malaysians in electing its leadership.
Led by its newly-elected secretary-general N. Gopalakishnam, there is a
genuine hope that MTUC will play a more active role in restoring a
sorely lacking balance within the Malaysian industrial relations system.
There will undeniably be a lot of hard work ahead, and drastic changes
should not be expected of the new leadership immediately, as they will
be dealing with a system that needs an overhaul.

The Federation of Korean Trade Unions, the nation's largest
and oldest trade union umbrella group, says it will participate in a
mass protest rally by striking railway workers set for this Saturday,
December 28th in a show of support for the Korean Railway Workers' Union
and the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions.

PETALING JAYA, Dec 23 (Bernama) -- A more united, concerted and coordinated effort to fight for the rights of workers will be the order of the day for the newly-elected Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) team.

Its second term president, Khalid Atan told Bernama today that his new team comprising talented individuals in various fields would adopt new approaches and strategies based on research and facts to forge new relationship with the industry and government.

Bandarlampung, Lampung (ANTARA News) - Indonesia needs to revitalize its policies in the migrant workers sector to provide fair treatment for its migrant workers abroad who contribute foreign exchange to the state, an ILO official said.

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

CAMBRIDGE — The union that represents auto and communications workers in Canada said its union drive at the Toyota plants in Cambridge and Woodstock is going well and it now has more than enough signatures to apply for a certification vote.